Underrated Female Filmmakers: 7 Movies to Watch

Written by Kendall Whitmire

The general audience’s cinematic experience has often been dominated by male voices, male perspectives, and the male experience. Films like Barbie (2023) are able to break through the noise, but it appears to be a more recent trend. While it’s not exactly common knowledge, women have been writing and directing films since the camera was first picked up. As a matter of fact, Alice Guy-Blaché was directing films as far back as 1896, only a year after the Lumière brothers began filming the workers leaving the factory. Guy-Blaché is even credited with creating the first narrative film in history, La Fee aux Choux (1896).

History lesson aside, it’s so important to make the effort to watch and support films by female filmmakers, from the past and present. Here is a curated list of some of my recommendations for underrated and incredible films directed by women that center the female experience in really exciting and creative ways. 

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
Directed by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid

Before David Lynch, there was Maya Deren, and her surrealist "a woman in trouble" short films, which had a strong influence not only on surrealist visuals but also on its narrative structure. This film, in particular, is her first, and arguably her most iconic. The imagery from this short film has been reimagined and replicated upwards of hundreds of times across decades and mediums. 

It’s fourteen minutes long, in the public domain, and truly such an incredible piece of art. I highly recommend everyone watch this!

Where to watch: Criterion Channel (Canada and U.S)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Directed by Beeban Kidron

Beeban Kidron’s drag queen feel-good comedy is sugary sweet and has aged brilliantly. Three drag queens on their way to a competition get stranded in a small town, and the impact that they leave on the small-minded townsfolk who show them hospitality. 

It’s something that couldn’t get made today without manufactured outrage across every social media platform, so how wonderful is it to know it already came out in 1995? Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo all don makeup and great outfits to play drag queens, and all three men have never looked more gorgeous. I only watched this for the first time this year, and I swear I had a smile on my face the entire runtime. 

Beeban Kidron has since gone on to make a real impact as a politician and social activist, but her artistic legacy lives on in this film. 

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy at home

Pariah (2011)
Directed by Dee Rees

Dee Rees’ debut feature film is described as semi-autobiographical, which makes it even more impressive with how deeply relatable and personal it feels for each individual watching it. Pariah is a coming-of-age film set in Brooklyn, about a young Black teenager (Adepero Oduye) figuring out herself and how she fits into the world she lives in. 

The film deals with friendship struggles, family complications, heartbreak, homophobia, and Alike’s journey through the minefield that is simply being a teenager. Pariah is also filmed so beautifully; the colors utilized reflect Alike’s emotional state in such a vibrant way. If you can relate to her story, it’s an important watch, but if you can’t, it could be a transformative, empathetic experience. 

Where to watch: Crave (Canada) and Netflix (U.S)

Our Friend (2019)
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite

This film is criminally underseen; such a special [based on a true] story about a couple who find out the wife was diagnosed with cancer, and the husband’s best friend, who moves in with them full-time to help with the kids and everything else while she goes through treatment. Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel give unbelievably good performances as the aforementioned wife and friend, and my heartstrings were tugged on too many times to count. Cowperthwaite’s background as a documentary filmmaker really assisted her here in allowing each scene to breathe and develop naturally; all the characters felt so lived in and personal. 

It takes a village, and this film showed the beauty and the heartache of that in such a brilliant way. 

Where to watch: Crave and Tubi (Canada), and Paramount+ and Tubi (U.S)

Your Monster (2024)
Directed by Caroline Lindy

This is the second "weird girl cinema" entry on the list, but I just can’t resist. In Your Monster, Laura’s life is in shambles after getting a cancer diagnosis that leads to her boyfriend breaking up with her. She then meets a monster who lives in the closet in her childhood home, and they hit it off after realizing they have a shared love of musical theater. Melissa Barrera is unbelievably luminous as Laura, maybe her best role so far. There’s so much raw honesty in the writing and a level of empathy for the woman at the heart of the story, which is very impressive, especially considering this is also a feature directorial debut, written and directed by Caroline Lindy. 

Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi, Netflix (U.S), and Netflix (Canada)

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Directed by Zelda Williams

Zelda Williams made her directorial debut with this campy neon-infused Frankenstein retelling set in American suburbs in the ‘80s. Loner Lisa (Kathryn Newton) spends too much time in graveyards and not enough time with people. After a particularly bad party experience, Lisa makes a wish to be "with" her favorite graveyard statue forever. Little did she know he would rise from the dead to grant her wish, and slowly the two of them realize they seem to understand each other in a way no one else can. Newton and Cole Sprouse are irresistibly charming, and this film is such a cute and special watch, especially for anyone who was assigned "weird girl" in high school. Also, the movie was written by Diablo Cody, so if you enjoyed Jennifer’s Body (2009), even more of a reason to check it out!

Where to watch: Netflix (Canada)

Rental Family (2025)
Directed by Hikari

Last year’s Rental Family was such a poignant and empathetic view on all the ways we emotionally manipulate ourselves before someone else can. It’s a film that really gets to the heart of loneliness and the feeling of desperation that comes with that. The concept of hiring someone to pretend to be a friend or family member could be hit or miss, but the empathy Hikari shows for every single character in the narrative, regardless of their actions or mistakes, really struck me as something special. Brendan Fraser leads a super solid cast of extremely lived-in characters, each just trying to get to the next day without falling apart. The locations in Japan where the film was shot are all stunning as well; it’s such a great watch.

Where to watch: Disney+ (Canada) and Hulu (U.S)